The Reader
by AbbyEmmaLuna
Summary: Eleanor is an ordinary girl who loves to read, just like you and me. However when she starts reading, she becomes one of the people there, carefully avoiding any changing of the original story. And now stories are disappearing all around the world. To save the world of fiction, she has to dive into it. Is she willing to risk her life for the sake of books? Is she a true Reader?
1. Chapter 1

I slowly take a sip from my tea, enjoying the fruity taste even though it's a bit too hot.  
Leslie watches me carefully. "It's great," I reassure her, thankful for her kindness of making me something to drink.  
"Are we done for today?" She nods and lays herself down on the bare wooden floor, in the middle of the room.  
I check the room for a brief moment and decide that we're indeed finished.

With a content sigh, I sit next to her, resting my back against the table.  
Pride fills me as I look at the fresh painted wall.  
The white fireplace looks even more majestic than it already did in the fresh painted, almost empty room.  
There are some unfinished spots left, but we both know her father will take care of that.  
At the moment, I'm too tired to think about the cleaning the man has to do when he comes home.  
I will leave long before he comes. Leslie told me how she and Jess started painting yesterday, together with her parents.  
By the smile on her face when she told me about the fun the four of them had, I think her father won't mind that bit of work.

The sun is sinking beneath the horizon, making the fresh paint light up in different shades of gold.  
"I told you it would be nice." Leslie grins, putting a strand of her dirty blond hair behind her ear and wiping the little drops of sweat from her forehead.  
She is covered in paint and dust. I'm a bit cleaner, but there isn't much difference.

"You were right," I admit without shame. "However, I doubt it would be a good idea to paint the fire place like this too."  
"Of course not. We're done. That's it, that's all." Her baldness makes me smile.  
She doesn't seem to care that I'm some years older. Her view on the world is different. So wide in her fantasy, so great in her love and kindness.  
It's her innocence as a child, yet her knowledge gathered through her imaginative adventures that made me want to meet her in the first place.

Thinking back to the moment I made that decision, a few months ago, I'm really glad I did it.  
It was my friend Hayley who told me about her. Her clear voice, lightning up the rainy night, telling me about this Leslie Burke.  
She spoke with so much pleasure that I clinging to every word she said. Hayley has been an amazing storyteller for as long as I can remember  
But even for her standards, that night she amazing.  
With wide gestures, she told me about JesseAarons, his love for running and drawing, about his family with sisters that are so different from him, about Janice and the school.  
Most of all, she told me about Leslie and her wonderful land called Terabithia. I listened without interfering Hayley, amazed by the imagination of the children.  
That night, between the flashes of lightning, I decided that I would go and meet Leslie.  
"I guess same colored pillows would be too much, won't they?" "I'm afraid so." She huffs.  
I wonder a bit about the decorations we should put up. Or rather, she would, since I'm planning on leaving soon.

The peaceful silence between us gets interrupted by loud barking.  
It's suddenness rips me from my thoughts. I almost spill my tea as the cute littledog jumps up to me before leaping to Leslie.  
He licks her face, taking advantage of her position on the floor, before backing away with a shocked howl.  
"I guess he doesn't like the taste of paint." She laughs, jumping to her feet.  
I pet Prince Terrien back for a second before he runs off to play with Leslie again.  
She fetches a ball and throws it for him. "Go boy, go get the ball. " She cheers at him as she runs after him through the front door.  
She runs fast, like she always does, with her short hair bouncing up and down with each step.  
I watch her go, and smile at her untroubled enthusiasm.

She plays keeps playing with P.T., throwing the ball and petting him when he gets it, as she runs up the muddy hill towards her best friend's house.  
"Leslie!" I call after her, making her spin around on her sneakers. She keeps walking backwards towards the house though.  
I'm not used differently. She's always in motion, it would've driven every parent insane, except her own.  
A cow mows in the distance at which P.T. starts barking happily.

Leslie raises an eyebrow as in asking what's wrong. Why I'm still in at the front door instead of following her.  
"Thank you for these wonderful days." She stops walking and motions P.T. to be silent.  
"Are you not coming with us? Jesse wouldn't mind." I know he wouldn't.  
The three of us had a wonderful time, spending days painting the house and chatting. I even helped him with his own drawings.

But the forest always remained theirs.  
I didn't dare to interrupt their fantasy, unsure of how it would influence the story.  
Their story and the bigger plot. "No, I can't. Thank you though. Now go with him and have fun."  
She swiftly looks at the woods where she will go with Jesse.  
I know they will play until they're called back home for dinner and spend the rest of the day waiting for the next time.  
Making up her mind, she starts to grin. Apparently she decided to shake off my lack of enhusiasm to join them with their fantasy kingdom, like she usually does.  
"I will for sure have a pleasant time with my King." "Send him my greetings." I reply, imitating her royal way of speaking.  
It's a sign of her coming into her role as the ruler of Terabithia. A sign for me to leave, even though she doesn't want me too.

"Goodbye, your highness. Watch out for the trolls and mind the river when it has rained." I warn her before clamping a hand before my mouth.  
I surprised myself by saying the last part, since I've been so careful the whole time by not giving her an idea of the future.  
Seeing her still smiling face makes me realize she isn't warned a bit.  
So I cover up my movement by blending it into a cough. I wrap my shawl tighter around me.  
"Terabithia can do a day without your protection." I can't stop myself from warning her again.

The idea of something bad happening to this lovely girl makes my heart break.  
Leslie laughs my warning away and runs the last steps to Jesse's house.  
The wind picks up, making my hair whip around my face.  
A single tear rolls down my cheek as I think of her future. One day, not far from now, Jess will go to the museum with miss Edmunds.  
Leslie would do what she always does, fearlessly swing to Terabithia. Even though the water was so high, even Jess was scared.  
Another tear rolls down my cheek as I think about their last days together.  
I turn around sharply, stopping myself from interfering.  
I know I can't help her from the drowning that will be. It's like a fixed point in time, I can't change it.

I shudder at the thought of what a chaos disturbing the main plot could cause.  
So I go inside again, closing the door fiercely behind me. Don't look back, don't cause any disturbance.  
I keep repeating those lines to myself as I lay down on the floor, inches from where Leslie lay just moments ago.  
The smell of fresh paint stings my nose, making it harder to fall asleep.  
After a few minutes of just laying there, I can hear the distant voices of Leslie and Jesse chatting happily. P.T.'s playful barks reach my ears as well.  
I can imagine them at the river, fetching the old rope and swinging to the other side. One of them with P.T. tucked under the free arm.  
As they land, their game begins. The world of their imagination lies in that shimmering forest, with them as rulers.  
They need their world as much as they need it, even though they don't know it themselves.

With that thought, I drift off to sleep. "Enjoy your days at Terabitha, Leslie Burke, for it will not last forever." I whisper softly before the darkness washes over me.  
The last thought that runs through my mind, is that May Belle never got her question answered. "But Leslie, what happens when you die?"


	2. Chapter 2

I open my eyes slowly, blinking a few times before opening them fully.  
I push myself up from the fluffy black couch with a groan. My muscles are getting sore from the painting I've done.  
The clock on the dark blue wall tells me it's eight p.m., which means I've been gone for three hours.  
"Sergio, dinner." I call, remembering I have a cat to feed. He comes running from my bedroom, where he was probably sleeping.  
I make some spaghetti for myself and give him his food, while he mews happily at the attention I give him.  
He jumps on the empty chair next to me with ease. His next jump brings him on the dark wooden table, where his food awaits him.  
"Good boy," I praise him for his gracefulness, petting his black fur. "Did you miss me?"  
Of course a soft mew is the only response I get from him. I roll my eyes and put the now empty bowls in the sink.

The best thing about a cat is that he doesn't look at me weirdly when I suddenly disappear from the couch and reappear hours later.  
"Anyways, I read Bridge to Terabithia again." I start telling him about today, while I do the dishes.  
When I'm finished, I turn around and see Sergio chasing some dust on the floor.  
I laugh and pick him up from the carpet, petting him in my arms as I walk to the couch.  
His soft black fur tickles my arms as he curls up on my next to me.  
I enjoy the warmth coming from him for a moment, closing my eyes exhausted.

People are always so busy, that they want some extra hours in a day. They don't realize that the days don't get easier.  
The days just get longer and more exhausting, filled with more stuff you want to do.  
I realized that soon after I found out my gift. The last three hours, I spend a whole afternoon painting with Leslie.  
That makes this day count twenty-eight hours.  
"The busy life of a reader," I lazily smile to myself. "What do you think, Serg, shall I take a break for a while?"

The last few months, I've spend every noon reading.  
In that time, I learned a lot about the gift I have for eight years now.  
I giggle as I think about how scared I was the first few times. Even after I understood what happened, I couldn't get myself to read again.  
I was so scared to fall into the story myself. It didn't take me long to realize I had to read at least a few pages before I entered the world of fiction.  
So for months, I just read one page at the time and if I did lose myself in the world of fiction, I fell asleep immediately to get back again.  
I shake my head at disbelieve for my own stupidity. After three years, I trusted my gift and went exploring within stories.  
Always children's stories though.  
Because it didn't matter if the book was fiction. If anything happened, I felt it for real.  
However only last year I realized that the time spend in the books didn't match the time gone in real life.  
Sometimes it went by quicker, sometimes slower. I've tried to figure that out, but I haven't so far.

Sergio mews sleepily, interrupting my memories.  
"Yes, you're right. I should focus on my normal life some more. I've figured most of the readers life out so far. It's time to live my real life normally again."  
I nod, happy I made a decision that's probably good for me.  
Then I realize I'm talking to a cat. To prevent myself from further weirdness, I swiftly go to bed.

Focusing on my normal life seems easier than I had thought.  
For one month straight, I spend all my free time with my friends and at work.  
My job at an Italian restaurant nearby isn't very nice, but the company of my friends cheers me up more than ever.  
I glide through the busy room with the ease of a trained waiter. It comes to me after more than a year of working there.  
Jannet, a petite blond girl whom I've known for four years now, took me to the cinema.  
Although the movie was awful, some comedy about a living teddy bear, I enjoyed the time spend with her.  
By the looks on her face, she wasn't so happy about the dirty jokes filling the whole hour either.

Raven invited me to go to the club with her and her boyfriend Ben.  
Seeing them cuddle didn't bother me, even though I've been single for a long time. Longer than what is healthy, according to my friends.  
But I don't mind, or at least I didn't, because I spend most of my free time reading.  
Raven and I have fake ID's, claiming we are twenty-two, the age of Ben instead of nineteen.  
It gave us access to every bar and club in town. We had a splendid time dancing and in her and Ben's case drinking.  
They drank so much that I had to bring them home before going to my own.  
She called me the next afternoon, thanking me for 'bringing her drunk ass back safe'.

The highlight of the month is our Game of Thrones marathon, organized by Raven herself.  
With our hair undone, sitting in our sweatpants and eating chips, we watch all four seasons.  
I hadn't touched a book for a whole month and the marathon was my personal celebration.  
But now, as Raven starts the last episode of Game of Thrones, I start longing for it again.  
After the marathon, I don't have any plans yet and my work isn't enough of a distraction.  
For the first time since this summer, I want school to start again.  
"Maybe I should read the books of the series." I wonder.  
Apparently I said it out loud, since Jannet looks up. "Yes, I think you'd like that."  
She smiles kindly at me, taking her eyes off Raven's black hair which she was braiding.  
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Raven mocks. "All you read are kiddy books."  
"Raven!" Hayley, the pretty brunette who has been my best friend since kindergarten, reprimands her.  
"It is not Eleanor's fault you're so fond of psycho books yourself. So zip it, okay?"  
I comb my hands through my hair, not in the mood for their bickering again.

The four of us have been friends since high school and went through all our teenage problems together, so we're friends for life.  
Nonetheless, we sometimes get a minor fight. Hayley and Raven collide most of the times, but I never pay that much attention to it.  
Hayley is right though, Raven likes creepy books and series a bit too much.  
She was the one to advise me on naming my cat Sergio, named after the cat from Criminal Minds whose owner was just stabbed to death in one of the bloody episodes. "Why do you watch it but not read it?" Jannet's big blue eyes stare at me questionable.  
I shrug and sit back in the soft chair, trying to look like I don't care much. Honestly my heart is pounding a bit faster at this subject.  
First of all because I don't want to tell them about my gift, but also because I'm embarrassed by my inability to read normal books.  
My cheeks brighten every time I ask Hayley to read to me.  
Something she thankfully kept a secret between the two of us.  
I would be so ashamed if Raven and Jannet knew that I don't read the good books myself, but let Hayley read them to me.  
"I guess reading is a different way of experiencing." I answer Jannet's question.  
Raven rolls her eyes at my vague response but decides to drop the subject, which I'm thankful for.

The episode begins and the opening tune draws the attention back to Ravens small television.  
Hayley, who sits in the comfy red chair next to me, takes my hand and squeezes it softly.  
"Don't worry, Cherrycho. We all do what we prefer." She whispers without taking her eyes of Sansa on the screen.  
I inwardly chuckle at the nickname, surprised by her lack of creativity to think of another nickname after all these years of Cherrychocolat and short versions of it.  
It is actually just the color of my hair, dark brown like pure chocolate with a cherry red glow.  
Only Hayley seems to like it as a nickname. I don't react on her reassuring gesture, knowing she doesn't expect me to.  
It would only draw the attention back to the uncomfortable subject again.  
We spend the rest of the hour in silence.  
Only the usual comments about the characters and the plot interrupt the peaceful silence between my friends and I.  
Raven occasionally tells Jannet to shut up, since she is a bit too enthusiastic about Jon Snow.

As soon as the episode has ended, Jannet moans that she's hungry.  
"Hi Hungry, I'm Eleanor." I joke but going into the kitchen to search for food anyways.  
"Pizza is in the freezer." Raven calls from the leather brown couch where she lies, without even looking up.  
"Well, thank you. You are such a wonderful host." I reply with sarcasm, getting a swear in return.  
Chuckling, I prepare the food, which is basically just putting the pizza in the oven.  
I feel Hayley's brown doe eyes watching my every move.  
She will get back to the subject of reading again one time, I know she will.  
To make sure it won't be anytime soon, I grab an tomato from the fruit bowl and throw it at her.  
"Think quickly!" I shout as I do it.  
With catlike reflexes, she catches it only an inch from her face and holds it there for a second before slowly taking a bite.

"So, what now?" "Now you all leave so that I can eat my pizza in peace."  
Raven snaps at Jannet's question. The blonde's eyes fill with tears, making Raven apologize immediately.  
She crouches down to where her petite friend is sitting with her knees pulled to her chest and wraps her arms around her.  
"I'm so sorry," She exclaims, rocking Jannet back and forth so hard that they almost tumble to the ground.  
Hayley quickly puts her arm between them and the coffee table to make sure they won't hit it.  
"A thousand times sorry." Her apologies stop when she hears me and Hayley giggle.  
Her head snaps up and she shakes it roughly to get her very long, straight black hair away from her face.  
"What are you laughing at?" I point my thumb to Jannet, who is hiding a smile.  
"Drama class, remember?" Raven lets go at once and stumbles backwards.  
She would've hit the table if Hayley wasn't already there to prevent it.  
"You're so easy to fool, Ray," Jannet grins slyly, giving her black haired friend payback for picking on me earlier.  
"Now give me pizza." Raven throws her head in her neck and laughs loudly.  
"Okay, okay. You've got me." She holds her hands up in surrender, wiggles her broad hips and walks to the oven to get the pizzas.  
We laugh at the weird dance moves she makes while cutting them.

I turn up her old fashioned boom box, which I admire very much and I envy Raven for her rich parents that gave her all those cool things.  
I pull Hayley to her feet and Jannet gets up too.  
The four of us eat our pizzas while dancing randomly through the kitchen and living room and singing along with the songs we know.  
For the first time this month, I'm totally regretless from my decision to stop reading.  
I don't understand why I was thinking about getting back to that lonely way of living an hour ago.  
This is so much more fun, focusing fully on my friends instead of the books nagging me a bit all the time.

As I join Raven in her weird belly dance, I make myself a promise: I will not lose myself to reading as much as I have the past few months ever again.  
I'm glad my friends didn't take my lack of time for them as an insult, they probably just thought I was busy with work.  
Only Hayley still saw me much during my months of massive reading, because we would have sleepovers and she would read to me most of the times.

It's the middle of the night when Raven decides to kick us all out.  
At two in the morning, I reach my small apartment. After spending a whole day at Raven's small house, my place looks even poorer.  
It is an apartment with just three rooms, being a small bedroom which I made even smaller by covering all the walls with bookshelves, a tiny bathroom and a living room with a kitchen next to it with only a table to separate them.  
I greet Sergio and give him a late night snack before swiftly going to bed, trying to look past the fadedpaint and old furniture that I've wished to replace for ages.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm in a huge room, filled with bookshelves rising high all around me.  
There is no roof, the shelves are so high that I can't see their endings.  
I spin around. Everywhere I look are books. Some are large, some small.  
Think ones and thin. Old and new. All kinds of books as far as my sight reaches.  
The place is brightly lit, making the titles of the neatly placed novels easy to read.  
Many are familiar, like Narnia and Harry Potter. Some are unknown or in a different language.  
I walk around for a while, letting my right hand glide along the shelves, feeling smoothness of the books I pass.  
Just as I stop to pick out one of the unfamiliar books, a novel called De Aanslag, a shadow creeps up next to me.  
I'm not fooled by thinking it is my own shadow, since I appeared to have none in this place.  
I take a step back and look around for the source of the shadow.  
There is none, just like there isn't a lamp or any other source of light. Yet, there it is.  
A shadow that's not supposed to be there in a place where I'm not supposed to be.  
Because that much is clear to me, I don't want to be here and presumably not supposed to be here either.

As I look back, I notice the pieces of shredded paper next to De Aanslag.  
I frown, eying the shadow suspiciously. Something doesn't feel right about it.  
The shadow slowly spreads. I reach out one hand to touch it.  
My slender fingers have a ghostly pale color in this light.  
Just before I touch the shadow, it reaches another book. The book falls to pieces in the absence of the light.  
I quickly take a step back, not so eager to touch the shadow anymore.  
It has now spread to the first book with a familiar title: The Maze Runner.  
I gasp for air as it shredders too. Not wanting to see further damage being done, I turn my back to the shadow.  
From the corner of my eye, I can see that it keeps growing.  
I suddenly become afraid, thinking about what would happen if it gets to me.  
Shall I turn to ashes, like the books? "No, it's just a dream." I tell myself with a shaking voice.  
The lack of conviction makes my heart sink in my chest. I shake my head in an attempt to wake up.  
When that doesn't happen, I start running.  
I pass bookcase after bookcase, not looking at the books anymore, keeping my hands close to my chest.  
I run through many long rows trying to avoid the darkness.  
After what feels like hours of running, I fall to my knees in exhaustion.  
I take in sharp breaths and try to calm down my racing heart.  
I appear to have outrun the slowly spreading shadow, so I allow myself a break.  
However before I can properly sit down, I faint.


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up with a scream and look around bewildered. Nothing has changed in my room.  
My small bed is still next to the big window, facing my mahogany closet against the purple wall.  
My sheets are laying on the wooden floor, I must have kicked them off of me during my nightmare.  
The other walls are a dull black, decorated with posters and images of the people, books, TV shows and movies I like.  
Staring at those, I try to calm my heavy breathing. "Just a bad dream." I whisper to myself. S  
ergio, who was sleeping next to me like usual, comes back out from under my TARDIS bookcase.  
He'd leaped off when I woke up so violently.  
Seeing Sergio yawn and stretch makes the uneasy feeling go away.  
If anything bad had really happened, Sergio wouldn't be so calm.  
I get off from my bed and kneel down next to my black cat.  
I pet him softly, still talking to myself to calm my heartbeat down to a normal speed.  
Knowing I won't be able to fall asleep anytime soon, I go to the living room.  
I pull out my painting equipment from a cabinet.  
I put the huge canvas on the dining table and prepare the paint.  
Painting always takes my mind off the trouble that hounds me. W  
ith every sweep I make, I feel the tension leaving my body.

After an hour, I lay my brush down and take a step back to see the result.  
The big castle-like building with high peaks in the center in now finished.  
It took me a week to do it, making sure everything was perfect about it.  
The building is mostly gold, but with so many nuances that it was really hard to get it right.  
I've already painted the small buildings at the bottom of the canvas.  
Now all there's left are the clouds in the dark sky and the signs of the chaos.  
I let the canvas dry on the table and wash my brushes.  
The sleepiness has returned in the past hour, so I don't have a hard time falling asleep once I lay in bed.  
I push the nasty thoughts about the nightmare away and this of my plans for the painting instead, glad that my imitation of Gallifrey Falls No More is succeeding so well.  
I sleep until noon and rise fully refreshed. However my nightmare keeps haunting me.  
Late in the afternoon, I decide to call Hayley. S  
he and I had planned to go to the premiere of The Maze Runner together. Talking about the book might help me get rid of that nagging feeling, so I dial her number.

After some small talk, I ask her the question that has hunted me the whole time.  
"Are we still going to the Maze Runner?" "What do you mean?" I frown in confusion.  
Hayley was so excited about it yesterday that she almost couldn't stop talking about it.  
She went on and on about how much fun it would be to see it together, since she read the book to me.  
"The premiere of the movie The Maze Runner. You know, from that book you love."  
Although the books are always better than the movies, we still go to see them.  
Part of me is just curious about how the producer will have changed the happenings in the book, to fit it into a movie.  
"I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no idea what that is."  
I get a lump in my throat. How could she forget?  
"But you liked it so much." I try again, having a hard time keeping my voice straight.  
Again she tells me she doesn't know it. This time, it comes out a bit more secure.  
She must've heard the doubt in my voice.  
"Maybe you're mistaking and has it another title?"  
To be sure of it, even though I am very sure about it myself, I walk to my blue bookcase in the living room.  
This wooden replica of the Time And Relative Dimension In Space is bigger than the other cases and contains my favorite books.  
It's only half filled, since I only put my most precious books in it.  
And indeed, there it stands, The Maze Runner.  
It stands next to Paper Towns, with an open space next to it for the sequels of the Runner series.  
"I'm not mistaking, Hayley. I'm looking at it right now. The Maze Runner, by James Dashner."  
She denies again, so I give up. After a short, uncomfortable silence, I change the subject.  
But something is still nagging me, so I hang up pretty quick.

The knowledge that Hayley will bring this up again the next time I see her, along with the reading of grown up books about which we talked yesterday, doesn't help in giving me rest either.  
I open my laptop and press the on button.  
I wait until my old computer is ready, making some coffee in the mean time.  
By the time all the software has fully loaded, I've finished my cup and given Sergio some snacks.  
Cursing my life as a poor college girl, I open the Internet.  
"I swear I'm going to buy a new computer whenever I've got money." I say to myself, knowing I won't do it.  
Every time I have my paycheck, I pay my debts and put aside just enough for basic needs such as food.  
I spend all the rest on books, movies and draw- and paint equiment.  
Even Raven knows that if she wants to go shopping with me, she has to take me the moment I've had my salary.  
Otherwise, I'm practically broke. Not that I mind, I don't need that much clothing since my style doesn't change as often as hers.  
It drives her insane.  
"I'm a fangirl, I can't be controlled." I giggle to myself.  
Sergio takes this as a sign to jump on my lap, almost throwing the laptop off it, and demands to be pet.

When Google finally appears on my screen, I type in The Maze Runner.  
A few links to sites selling a game appear, along with one about a camping in France.  
I try again, The Maze Runner - James Dashner.  
To my surprise, I don't get any result.  
I gulp and frantically search through the web, looking for any signs that I'm not getting crazy.  
That the book in my TARDIS really exists.  
Nothing, nothing, nothing. The web is completely blank when it comes to The Maze Runner.  
The movie doesn't exist anymore either.

As I finally give up the search, it is late in the evening.  
I rush to give Sergio some food and get a simple sandwich for myself, not in de mood to cook anything.  
"Serg, we have a problem," The cat gives no acknowledgement of my talking except from twitching his left ear slightly.  
I continue talking out loud anyways, to get thinks clear for myself and line up my thoughts.  
"The Maze Runner doesn't seem to exist anymore.  
I bet the other books I saw falling to ashes don't anymore either.  
But how is that even possible? Dreams are dreams, just random thoughts in my head while I sleep,"  
I snap my fingers. "Of course it was happening inside my head. But why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" I quote Dumbledore, accepting the fact that apparently my nightmare was somehow linked to reality.  
Halfway through my wondering, Sergio gets bored and walks away.  
I trace him with my eyes while I keep pacing back and forth.  
He takes a graceful leap to my TARDIS bookcase, stretches and lays down on the shelf next to the Gone series.  
I watch him sleep for a while, feeling the mug with coffee in my hand cool down slowly.

Then it hits me. Stories are disappearing, fast.  
I jump up, spilling the cold coffee everywhere but I don't waste time cleaning it up.  
They all disappear, except the ones in my bookcase. I run into my bedroom like a maniac, collecting the books that are spread everywhere. Luckily for me, my apartment isn't big.  
I throw all the books in the TARDIS bookcase.  
Sergio growls at me for waking him from his peaceful sleep so roughly.  
He runs away annoyed. "Sorry Serg," I call after him, not looking up from my attempt to save the stories.  
"I'm saving the world of fiction. Remind me to get you an extra fish later, okay?"  
I've managed to get all my books from the floor and the tables in the bookcase.  
It is half filled by now. After a moment of doubt, I decide to play it safe and put every book inside the TARDIS.  
Which means I have to cram six cases in one. I sigh loudly, not happy with the long task that's awaiting me.

"Thank Odin I accidently made the replica twice as big as I actually wanted it."  
I murmur as I start working on the last bookcase from my bedroom.  
The huge TARDIS is now almost full. I used every inch of space there was, stuffed it full.  
After I put the last books in it, I close the doors and lock them.  
Whatever is happening, the books I own are save.  
It's a good thing school made me read almost all important books in the modern history.  
Two of the fourteen shelves of the TARDIS are filled with books like Romeo and Juliet and Inferno.  
I nod at the doors of the TARDIS proudly, happy that my work is done for now.  
The sign saying Police Box Push to Open makes me laugh.  
I give BBC a quick thanks for making the TARDIS get pulled open by the doctor.  
Otherwise, the bookcase would've been much harder to make.  
I take a deep breath and let myself fall down on the couch. I look at the clock and see it's past midnight.  
This makes me pet Sergio goodnight and go to bed.  
The empty bookshelves give me a creepy feeling.  
I pull the blanket over my head, glad for the unrealistic feeling of safeness it gives.  
I close my eyes and let the sleep wash over me.


	5. Chapter 5

I wake up from a dreamless sleep by the sound of the doorbell ringing.  
With a groan, I push myself up from the bed. T  
he empty bookcases make a shiver run down my spine.  
I put on my dressing-gown and grumpily unlock the door.  
A bright awake Hayley rushes past me as soon as I've opened the door.  
"We need to talk." Is the greeting she gives me.  
I close the door slowly, not fully woken up yet.  
"Good morning to you too." I grumble.  
She looks me up and down from where she's standing in the middle of the room.  
"Why are you still in pajamas? It's already ten o'clock."  
"That means early in the morning for normal people, you know."  
She rolls her eyes at me and walks into my kitchen.  
With the ease of someone that has been here for years, she searches the cabinets.  
"I am normal, just with an alarm clock."  
She grabs two mugs and starts making coffee.  
The sight of her going through my kitchen isn't new to me, so I just let her do what she want while I get myself some breakfast.

"Anyways, why are you here?"  
"Like I said, we need to talk."  
She takes our coffee with her to the couch.  
Her eyes narrow as she sees my TARDIS bookcase.  
There's nothing to see about it from the outside, so I pay no attention to it.  
That is, until she suddenly stands up and walks to it.  
"Hayley?" I ask her, unsure of what she's doing.  
She stops in front of the doors. "Since when do you lock it?"  
I whisper a swear. Typical something only Hayley would notice.  
She turns the key and swings the doors wide open.  
Some books fall out, making her jump back.  
I let my breakfast be and cautiously walk over to her.  
"What have you done?"  
She whispers in disbelieve, her eyes wide as she takes in the sight of the overflowing bookcase.  
"Long story, can we please close that again?" I snap her out of her stare.  
She does as I ask, picking up the fallen books and closing the doors again.  
She points her finger from me to the couch.  
"Sit," The tone in her voice makes me obey immediately.  
Hayley doesn't get angry often, but when she is, I know better than to piss her off even more.  
Demons run when a good girl goes to war.  
"You'd better start talking. Now."  
I wait for her to sit down next to me, but she doesn't.  
So I suppress a sigh and hesitantly begin to tell her about my nightmare.

"I swear, I'm not crazy. I really have a copy of the Maze Runner here, in the TARDIS."  
I end my story. Hayley has sat down, not interrupting me until I was finished.  
It is silent for a while. I don't know where to look, pretty sure she thinks I'm crazy now.  
Hayley finally starts talking again after what seems like forever, but can't be more than a few minutes.  
"So you've put all your books inside the TARDIS bookcase, because you dreamt they would disappear and they actually did?"  
"Yep." I reply, unsure about what she thinks about my explanation.

She suddenly stands up. "  
Then I guess I should get some of my own books, to save the stories you've never bought too."  
I feel my mouth fall wide open. "So you believe me?"  
"I never said that, but better safe than sorry."  
She's already half outside my apartment when I run after her.  
"Wait, I come with you." "No, you're not,"  
Her voice has a sharp edge, which makes me stop halfway through a step.  
"I still don't know if you're crazy or some weird psychic so please, give me some alone time to figure it out.  
I will come back with the books immediately.  
I promise. Just give me some time to think, okay?"  
I nod."Okay."  
I watch her go and silently thank her for being the amazing friend she is for not calling the mental hospital at once.

Hayley returns within half an hour.  
She's a bit sweaty from the hurry and carrying a big pile of books.  
"Here you go, the full series of Game of Thrones, the books about CSI and Criminal Minds and the Charmed series."  
She hands them to me and plop down on the couch.  
"Why are there coffee stains on your floor?"  
I'm standing with my back to her, trying to get to books inside the limited free space of the TARDIS.  
I assume she's talking about the coffee I spilled when I figured out my nightmare.  
"Never mind those. I haven't had time to clean it up yet."  
The best thing about Hayley is that she knows her priorities.  
She forgets the stains and looks at me again.  
It's like I can see the wheels spinning in her head.  
She pats on the spot next to her, motioning for me to sit down.  
I awkwardly scratch the back of my neck and wait for her to start the conversation.

"You know you're weird, right?" I let out a short laugh.  
She sounds a bit like Raven when she's mad or confused.  
"But never mind that. I came to talk to you about something else.  
However, this dream of yours is pretty weird too.  
Anyways I'm not a dream therapist, so I can't help you with that any more."  
I let her speak, suppressing the urge to raise an eyebrow.  
She stops talking and seems to come to a decision.  
All the sharp edges on her face disappear and she looks at me with her big brown eyes.  
"I want to help you read. Please let me help you read?"  
I expected this question, after our conversation with Raven and Jannet.  
I just didn't expect it now, after telling her about my nightmare.  
I gulp, not prepared for this. "Hayley, I don't want to." "  
You said you wanted to start reading grown up books."  
"Yes, but on my own time. In my own way."  
She pouts, a habit of her when she doesn't get what she really wants.  
"But I want to help you. Please, let me help you?"  
I want to refuse, but as I look in her pleading eyes, I know I can't.  
I don't know how I'm going to read with her net to me, but I'll figure something out.  
"Fine," I sigh. She immediately jumps up and wraps her arms around me.  
"Can I please get dressed first?" She laughs and pulls me up.  
"Go, Cherrycho. I'll make you breakfast. See you in a minute."  
Now that she's got what she wants, she's her cheerful and caretaking self again.

I swiftly go to my bedroom and open my closet.  
Next to my daily clothing, most of it bought with Raven, there is one la with my more extraordinary clothing.  
I soon realized that normal clothing wouldn't always suit the clothing in the world and time of the books I read.  
I ignore that shelf of old fancy robes, which I had made myself by lack of money, strong cotton brown tunics and leather boots.  
I pick out normal jeans, fashionably bleached at some spots.  
On top of it, I wear a simple black top and a bordeaux jacket.  
I grab my black leather jacket, but put it down again as I realize Hayley wouldn't understand.  
No normal person wears a jacket inside the house.  
I just have to hope Hayley doesn't make me read anything about winter.  
I do put on my shoes, dark red low Converses to fit my vest.  
I do my hair in a messy ponytail and go back to the living room where Hayley is waiting.  
She's kneeled on the ground with a sponge in her hand, scrubbing the floor where I'd spilled my coffee.  
A sandwich and a glass of juice is waiting for me on the dinner table.  
I kiss her on her head as a thanks. She doesn't look up, but I can see her smile.

After me eating my breakfast and her drinking a cup of tea, she leads me to the couch again.  
I feel like a visitor in my own home, the way she takes it over with her natural confidence.  
Hers isn't as shining as Raven, who knows she can draw the attention of everyone in the room with ease and acts like it.  
Hayley's confidence is subtle, lingering beneath the surface of her kind, helpful personality.  
It shows in her keen eye, her amazing reflexes and her focus, showing her ability to do so much more than she does now.  
However, she is too selfless and kind to take away the attention of others.

We sit down and Hayley hands me a book.  
"Once Upon a Time, seriously, that's a book too? I thought it was a TV show."  
She shrugs. "That doesn't mean there are no books about it. There are books about everything."  
"And you want me to read this?"  
"Yes, it's not very thrilling and you know the TV show very well.  
It's not writing difficultly so I'm sure you can do it."  
I cheer inwardly that she picked out a story that isn't dangerous and doesn't mean I would have to change clothing.  
"Are you sure I have to do this? It is not exciting to see someone read."  
"You've watched me read many nights. See this as a way to repay me."  
These words washed away the last doubt I had.  
I still wanted to have a way of thanking her for Leslie, but couldn't find any.  
Maybe sharing my gift with her was that thanks.  
We've been best friends since kindergarten, I know I can trust her.  
I look her in her eyes and see the reassurance and safety they give.  
I let out a deep breath that I didn't know I was holding. "Okay, let's do this."


	6. Chapter 6

"Rumpelstiltskin let the potion drip on his scarf and threw the bottle away.  
Belle took the scarf from him and put it around his neck carefully.  
With a dramatic silence, Rumpelstiltskin let stepped over the line that divides Storybrook from the rest of the world.  
He turned around and looked the love of his life in her eyes.  
"Belle." She laughed, overjoyed. "You did it!" she cheered.  
She hadn't doubted him for a second, trusting he knew what he was doing." I start reading.  
Hayley seems surprised that I'm reading so easily. I  
enjoy reading the book, even though I've opened it on a random page.

The dizziness starts coming over me, making me want to stop reading.  
I don't want to disappoint Hayley however.  
Now that I've made my decision, I want to keep myself to it.  
"They embraced each other in a hug, carefully avoiding Belle to cross the line.  
The night was peaceful and filled with joy. Rumpelstiltskin now finally could find his son.  
He was looking forward to that journey, even though that mend he had to leave Belle."

I feel myself black out. One second later I find myself standing on an almost empty street surrounded by trees.  
A loud bang pierces the silence. Belle falls forward into Rumpelstiltskin's arms.  
He takes a step back by the sudden load in his arms.  
He looks down at his love in shock.  
I can see Hook from over Rumple's shoulder, standing with his hands in front of him. He holds a gun in his hand.  
Smoke rises from the barrel.  
"No!" Rumpelstiltskin's shout rings trough my ears.  
I run to them, not minding the rule of not interfering.  
"Belle," Rumplestiltskin lowers her to the ground and crouches next to her.  
Hook is still holding the gun, pointing it at the couple.  
I stand between them. "Belle, no. My Belle." "  
Who.. Who is Belle?" The woman stutters in confusion.  
Rumpelstiltskin takes in a sharp breath as he realizes what has happened.  
He looks up at Hook and seems surprised to see me standing there too.  
Hook stares at me with his eyes narrowed, but decides to ignore me and focus on his real treat.  
Rumplestiltskin seems to have done the same.  
He raises a hand filled with fire, ready to shoot it at his enemy.

Right that second, a car comes racing around the curve.  
Rumple dives out of the way, pulling Belle with him and protecting her with his own body.  
But there's no time for me and Hook to jump.  
My heart misses a beat as I realize that.  
The vehicle hits Hook, sending him flying over the roof of it before he slams into the ground.  
This all comes to me in one split of a second, before I get hit myself.  
It has slowed down a bit already, since the driver is slamming the brakes at full force.  
Nonetheless, it hits me with such a force that I fly into the windscreen.  
I hear the crack of the glass breaking, accompanied with another crack which sounds way more awful.  
I fall to the ground with a smack. The asphalt comes nearer at a terrifying speed.  
My head slams on the ground and I feel myself losing consciousness.

I wake up with a shock.  
My ribs hurt terribly and I feel blood dripping down the side of my head.  
"Eleanor!" The high pitched scream pierces through my head.  
"Oi, what?" Hayley jumps at me and hugs me tight.  
Her arms press against my painful ribs.  
"You were gone! I was so scared, my god. Where did you go?"  
I shake my head, trying to get it clear although it hurts.  
"Yes, that. How long was I gone?" "Six minutes!"  
To my surprise, there are tears in her eyes.  
"I was so scared." I cup her head with my hands and press a kiss on her forehead.  
"It's okay. Don't worry. I'm back." I hush her.  
She takes a deep breath and comes to her senses.  
She backs off and stares at me. "You were gone!"  
I roll my eyes. "Yes, I thought we had that sorted out already."  
My sarcastic comment gets rewarded with a punch to my chest.  
"How did you disappear? And why are you bleeding?"  
She only now notices my hurt look and the blood on my face and arms.  
To my shame, it is now spread on her clothing too.  
Hayley holds up her hand, pointing a finger at me.  
"What happened to you?"  
"I sort of got hit by a car.." I hesitantly answer, being as honest as I can.  
Her eyes widen and she stares at me in shock.  
I give her a shaky smile, trying not to sound like a lunatic.  
"You're hurt," I nod. "Take off your jacket and let me see those wounds. I'll take care of them."  
I sigh relieved and hug her.

She gets the first aid kit out of a cabinet and starts cleaning my wounds.  
There are more than I'd thought. My arms are covered with scratches and bruises.  
I lift my shirt to see a big black bruise spread over four ribs.  
Hayley pushes it softly to reassure they're not broken.  
There's a big cut in my leg, but luckily for me it's only superficial.  
"How did this all happen in just six minutes?"  
She whispers in disbelieve. "Long story." Is my explanation again.  
She bows herself over my wounds and starts cleaning them carefully.  
I look at the back of her head as she does it, trying to relax.  
Hayley seems to notice that I'm not putting my walls up again.  
She feels that I'm about to talk and gives me my time.  
I'm glad she does. Telling my long hidden story is a hard thing to do.  
It takes me the time of the caretaking of my head and left arm before I open my mouth again.

When I finally do, the words coming running out.  
I can't stop myself any longer.  
This gift was a relief but also a huge burden.  
And finally, I can share it with someone.  
With the only person I've ever truly wanted to tell, my Hayley.  
I talk and keep talking long after she's finished fixing me up.  
When I'm finally finished, she leans forward and wipes away the tears that I didn't know were running over my cheeks.  
Tears out of sadness because I couldn't share anything with anyone, mixed with tears of happiness now that I finally can.  
Hayley hugs me tight and I hug her back, wrapping my arms around her.  
"I believe you," She whispers in my ear.  
I can feel her own tears wetting my cheek.  
"No matter how insane this sounds, I believe you.  
I know you wouldn't be able to make this stuff up and fake that disappearing.  
I believe you. I see the pain in your eyes and understand your book issues now.  
I believe you." We sit there for a long time, together on the couch.  
She whispers "I believe you" every now and then, not expecting a response from me.  
Ican't think of any words to tell her how happy I am that she believes me, so I stay silent and enjoy every moment of her next to me and the strong feeling of our bond at that moment.

We spend the rest of the day chatting like usual, trying to forget the weirdness for a moment.  
At first, it is awkward and each sentence is forced out and sounds unnatural.  
A lot has changed between us, for the better and unfortunately for the worse too.  
Things are slowly getting better.  
By dinner time, we're comfortable together again.  
Hayley helps me cook some pasta and offers to stay for the night.  
"Maybe I can prevent any other nightmare's ," She jokes, giving me a wink.  
"You're place needs some cleaning up too."  
I giggle and hug her, happy to have my best friend with me.  
We decide to watch a movie before going to bed and choose The Avengers.  
Halfway through the movie, she starts babbling about my gift again.  
"Were you ever going to tell me?"  
I look at the screen again, my eyes follow the hulk chasing the Black Widow.  
"No, probably not. I would have never thought you'd react this good. I was afraid you might think I'm insane."  
She hums. "I always have your back. Always have, always will."  
"Are you telling Raven and Jannett?"  
"Nope." I say, popping the P, still without looking at her.  
Her fingers find mine and she squeezes my hand.  
We watch the movie in peaceful silence until the credits have ended.

"So, what are you going to do about the disappearing books?"  
"What can I do? I don't even know why they're disappearing, or how."  
We spend an hour discussing multiple theories, eating away lots of chocolate during it.  
In the end, we're still not sure what is truly happening.  
It is close to midnight when Hayley yawns and we decide to go to sleep.  
We both have to sleep in my bed, since there's no room in my apartment for a spare one and the couch is absolutely not comfortable.  
So we sleep curled up next to each other like we used to do when we were little.  
"Hayley?" I whisper drowsily. "Yeah?" She replies, also almost taken by the sleep.  
"Thank you for being such a great and loyal friend." I say from the bottom of my heart.  
She kisses my forehead. "For you always, Cherry."  
With her warm body reassuringly next to me, I fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Something hits my cheek hard and leaves a stinging mark.  
With a scream, I open my eyes and roll over, away from what hit me.  
I fall out off my bed and land on the floor with a bump.  
I curse under my breath at the pain in my ribs, which haven't healed from the car crash yet.  
"Thank Odin, you're awake!" Hayley says with her eyes wide open in fear.  
She sits on my bed and stares down at me.  
I raise my hand to my face to feel the warmth coming from the stinging place.  
"You hit me?" She bites her lip and looks down.  
"You hit me!" I yell at her, not sure why on earth she would do that.  
"You wouldn't wake up." "It four in the morning,"  
I yell back, after looking at the clock for a second. "Of course I wouldn't wake up."  
I narrow my eyes at her. Waking someone up in the middle of the night isn't something Hayley would do for fun.  
She notices the change in my behavior and sits back to a more comfortable position.  
"Why did you wake me up?" I ask cautiously while I take my place on the bed again.  
"You were saying thing and you had your eyes open, it was really creepy.  
I tried calling your name, but you didn't react to that."  
"So then you just hit me?" I raise an eyebrow.  
She punches me in the arm softly. "That is not relevant. Aren't you curious what you were saying?"

I nod, so she starts talking.  
"It ended with 'captured in a victorious fall. The winner takes it all.' That were the last sentences you said before you began repeating yourself."  
I raise my eyebrow again and motion her to say everything I said according to her.  
She frowns and closes her eyes, searching for the exact words in that big brain of hers.  
"Unspoken words shall forever pierce the silence, hunting the man that has seen it all. The ghost's friend possesses the stinging shadow, making the death fall."  
I hold back a sarcastic laugh, this doesn't make any sense to me.  
It's four in the morning and my head is still foggy.  
However, Hayley's serious attitude makes me pay attention to what she's saying even though my head longs for pillow and I just want to lie down.  
"True love shines like a star through the darkest of nights. Black 'n Green carefully picks his fights."  
She falls silent, indicating the end of the verse. I let myself fall back on the back, bouncing a little.  
"No idea what it means, Hay. Maybe I was just having a funny dream."  
She lays down next to me, turning her head so that she can look me in the eyes.  
"What if it had something to do with your nightmare?"  
I shrug, knowing my mind isn't clear enough to think about that right now.  
"We'll discuss it after some more sleep, okay? I'm exhausted. Don't forget that I'm still injured, I need my bed rest."  
She laughs and tucks me in, taking care of me like a big sister even though she's only a year and a half older than me.

Morning comes way too soon and leaves me feeling tired still.  
I get up and put on my dressing down, not in the mood to chance into something normal while my injuries still hurt a bit.  
I go to the kitchen and make pancakes for Hayley and myself.  
She comes walking out of the bedroom not long after me.  
Her hair stand up in all directions, making her look like an electrocuted lion.  
"Nice hair," I laugh while I serve breakfast.  
She awkwardly tries to push in down but sees me shake my head and runs to the bathroom to brush it.  
Her pancakes have almost cooled down when she finally comes back, her light brown hair tamed and braided.  
She thankfully starts eating. I get the feeling that she's waiting for me to start the subject of tonight again.  
So I make us a cup of tea at an incredibly low speed before taking my seat next to her.  
I take a pen and some paper and start writing down the sentences she told me last night.  
My handwriting is small but net, perfected by years of making notes in school.  
It makes me feel like a nerd, which, honestly, I am. I push the paper in her direction, so that we can both look at it again.

"So, you think my nightmare and the things I said last night are connected?"  
She nods, her mouth full of pancake. I absently follow a pattern in the wood of the table.  
"I think it goes further than that. What if, and now I'm just thinking out loud, it is connected to my gift? I mean, there has to be a reason that I get those weird dreams instead of anyone else. Right?"  
I secretly hope I'm wrong, but Hayley nods thoughtfully.  
"That crossed my mind too, last night. However, if that's true, there must be some reason behind it."  
It annoys me how easy she takes in all of this. Her best friend can read herself into any story and she doesn't seem to mind just one bit.  
The grab on my mug tightens. It took me long to accept my gift and she managed to talk about it like it's normal within a day.  
I shake my head to make the feelings of envy go away.  
She just hears about it, she doesn't really have to deal with it.  
"I don't see how there can be a link between the two things. How is reading supposed to help with a stupid riddle?"  
Hayley doesn't respond but looks at the wall thoughtfully, like there will be answers written on it.  
I try to figure out if I have seen or heard the poem before in one of my classes.  
But for now, my study in English literature doesn't seem to help much. We're both lost in our own thoughts for a while.

I take a break in the thinking and go to my bedroom to change.  
I pick an outfit consisting of a green and black skater skirt which looks good with my long legs, a black tight top that shows my curves and a green jacket, with matching black shoes.  
I comb my hair and put it up in a casual ponytail.  
I turn to the mirror and smile approvingly. I look like a cute version of a typical English school girl.  
I put on some make-up to make me look a bit older, not wanting to look like an actual schoolgirl.  
Hayley gives me a thumbs up as she sees me, distracted of her thinking for a moment.  
"Cute, but wild. Feminine but strong." She compliments me on my looks, making me blush.  
She never says someone looks nice, but always makes it sound like the person is the most beautiful in the whole world and compliments in a unusual way.  
I smile at her and start thinking again.  
"Maybe we should ask Raven to help?" She suggests quietly after some minutes.  
"She's a detective in training. If anyone can link the pieces of this puzzle together, it is her."  
I shake my head. "Not yet. I want to tell as few people as possible about my gift. You're the only one that knows yet."  
She sighs but accepts it. "True love," She mumbles after another long silence. "That almost sounds like Once Upon a Time."  
"You sound like Jannett," I chuckle, thinking about the girl and how obsessed she is with the show.

But then I start thinking about what she just said. "Maybe it's meant to sound like it."  
I snap my fingers and kiss her on her forehead, a habit I've gotten by watching too many episodes of Doctor Who.  
"You're a genius!" "I am?" "What if it really is about Once Upon a Time? What if something in that show can stop my nightmares?"  
She rises from her chair and starts pacing back and forward, a sign that she's thinking at full speed.  
"Maybe it won't just stop the nightmare, but the happenings in reality too. It's like.."  
She laughs loudly and claps her hands. "It's like the books are trying to tell you something."

We're both thinking out loud now, trying to fit all the pieces together.  
"What if they try to escape the shadow of my dreams."  
"But they can't, because they're just books."  
"Books can't think, so that's impossible."  
"Maybe it's like, I don't know, the spirit of Fiction."  
"Like that exists." I laugh shortly, but get serious a second later.  
We're talking fast now, our thoughts flying around, changing course when the other says something that hadn't been thought about.  
"Maybe not, but something does exist. So why not call it Fiction itself."  
"What would that Spirit you talk about want from me?"  
"Maybe it needs you to stop the destruction of the books"  
"Because it can't do it himself" We finish each other's sentences, like we used to do in high school when we had a test on the same subject or a group project.  
Now that we're in college, we don't do it anymore.  
Apparently it's a gift you can't forget once you've learned it.  
"And no-one else seems to notice the disappearing"  
"But I can, because It shows me that"  
"Which means you have to use the books to stop that shadow"  
"And it is me that is chosen"  
"because you have that gift"  
"So that the books can fight back"  
"The solution for the problem is in the books itself"  
"they just need someone to take it out."  
We stare at each other, shocked that we have figured it out. Or at least, we think we know what's happening now.  
Out of the sudden, we both start random dancing out of relieve that we've come to a conclusion.  
We fall on the couch laughing, even though it hurts my ribs which are still a bit bruised.

I eventually get serious again.  
"That would mean that the poem means multiple books."  
Desperation gets to me as I think about how we've only managed to solve one.  
Not to mention that we have to figure out how the books are going to help us.  
"Let's start with Once Upon a Time first," Hayley decides.  
"What do you think could be in the story to help us?" I shrug, petting Sergio absently.  
"I don't know. Maybe I'll figure it out when I'm there," She nods, encouraging me to continue planning.  
"That would me that I have to read myself into the story again."  
"Exactly! Are you ready to do that? I will wait here for you and take care of Sergio and the apartment."  
I raise an eyebrow. "It won't take that long. I have to sleep and return eventually."  
She make clear that she's not going to leave my side while I try to figure this mystery out.  
"Last time I went to Storybrook, I got hit by a car. I'm not sure going back is a good idea."  
She pushes me down to a laying position on the couch and leans over me.  
Her hair falls down and tickles my face. "I don't think you have a vote in it."  
She whispers falsely sweet. I huff, knowing she's right.

I secretly want to go there badly, but I'm afraid of what might happen. I've never been to a story where my presence was of any value.  
Nothing was ever expected of me, because I was just one of the many unimportant faces there.  
"What should I do when I get there?" She shrugs.  
"Get in touch with the important people. Maybe you'll get an idea for a solution as you see them doing their things. And don't be afraid to change the plot.  
I will be here reading along with you. I know the story, thanks to Jannett's obsession, I'll wake you up if something changes."  
I nod at her thankfully. She puts something in the pocket of my jacket, saying it's for security, just in case.  
She hands me the book, the same as last time, and I start reading at the page she searched out for me.  
It's not long after the incident with Belle, which means I will fit in fine.  
I trust Hayley to take care of everything here and start reading until I feel myself fade away.


	8. Chapter 8

p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US"I'm back on the same road as I was last time. Belle, Hook and Rumplestiltstin are gone, so is the man in the car. Emma must have come here already and done her job as sheriff. It is morning now, still a bit chilly but by the look of the sky, it is going to be a warm day. I cheerfully start walking towards town. To walk around Storybrook unnoticed, I need a fairytale name. Everyone here has a double identity, so I should have one too. I walk past Regina's house, looking at the apple tree standing majestic in her garden, unto the main square. There I stop to look around. Everything seems very familiar to the TV-show, including the tower. "Hi," I hear from behind. I turn around and see a beautiful, long-legged girl with dark brown hair standing across the square. She smiles kindly at me with her pretty face, wrapped in a warm, red jacket to protect her from the morning chilliness. She walks up to me. "I'm Ruby, some call me Red. You haven't been here much, have you?" She holds out her hand to shake, but I prefer a small wave, even though it's a bit awkward. "I've never seen you before," She continues. "I work at the restaurant across the street, so I know pretty much everybody that comes to the square." I smile back at her, combing my hand trough my hair. "I'm Eleanor," I has honestly, not seeing a reason to lie about my name. The rest I tell her is a lie though. "Back in the home, I used to be Pocahontas." I did my research, there hasn't been a Pocahontas so far and the producers aren't planning on letting her come. So it should be safe. Besides, her personality suits mine the better than the other characters I could think of. I'm not exactly a typical princess type. Sadly, I don't look anything like Disney's Pocahontas, with my light skin. "Do you want some tea of coffee? I'm opening the restaurant now, maybe we could spend some time before it gets busy." I gladly accept and follow her to Granny's. She tells me about her grandmother and herself. I'm not surprised by Ruby's kindness, since she is like that in the show. I am however glad she is like that. She doesn't push me to tell about myself, but tells me about her friends and the town. After an anecdote about Granny's issues with Ruby's short dresses, she finally decides to want to know something about me. "So, where have you been all this time?" I shrug, luckily I've made up my story while she was talking. "I live at the edge of town and didn't feel the need to come to the center often. I used to live with just a small group of people back then. I did when Emma came to town though, I heard Henry's mom returned. But when she got into a fight with Regina, I didn't want to get involved." Ruby nods in understanding. "Yes, that was a mess. I'm glad she broke the curse, though. Now all we have to do is return home, to the enchanted forest." I fake homesickness and start talking about how I lived in a peaceful part of that world, where not many humans lived. "I spend a lot of time with the animals. With wolves for example," I wink at her. Then I notice the flaw in my story. What if that part of the world was spared from the curse, if it wasn't in the enchanted forest itself? "I was on an adventure to see the world, when the curse was cast." I say sadly, covering my story better. Ruby lays a hand on my shoulder in comfort. "Poor you, are you all alone now?" I nod, seeing that's the safest. Otherwise she might ask Emma to get people looking for me. I hear the door open and turn around to see who is coming in. It's Belle, although she doesn't look like her normal self. She's clearly Lacey now. She doesn't take notice of me, but orders some coffee from Ruby. The kind girl leaves me with an apologizing smile. I eye Belle as she gets her coffee, thinking of the best way to start a conversation. She's my key to Rumple and Emma, who can sure help me with my task. But she's so different now, that I'm not sure if and how she can help me. "Are you enjoying the view?" My head snaps up as I realize I've been absently staring at her. "Yes, couldn't help but notice your nice jacket," I make up an excuse, pointing at the leather jacket she's wearing over her miniskirt. "It really matches your skirt and heels." She lets out a short, approving laugh. "Finally someone who understands fashion." Ruby seems hurt by this, but Belle ignores her since they're not friends anymore. Ruby must've called her Belle and tried to make her remember, because Belle doesn't seem very friendly to her. "Thank you, I'm El." I introduce myself as she takes a seat next to me at the table. Ruby pretends to be busy cleaning the tables, but I know she's avoiding her former friend. "I'm Lacey, although some people keep calling me Belle. She looks at Ruby meaningful at this. We continue to chatter while it gets crowded. At nine o'clock, Emma comes walking in. She walks straight over to our table to ask Belle how she's doing. "I'm fine. Would be better if people just left me alone though." Her behavior reminds me of Raven when she's on her period. I'm surprised no-one has slapped her in the past few days since she's Lacey. I know I would have. Emma seems to notice me as a stranger and shows immediate interest. "Emma Swan, sheriff of the town. Are you from Storybrook?" "Lived in the forest, scared of your catfight with the mayor." Belle laughs, before walking off to some biker at the bar. I know she's going to the cafe, where she'll meet Rumple. So I don't try to stop her. "Are you alone here?" Emma takes Belle's seat at the table. Again, I tell my story. This whole mission goes surprisingly well. I've already met two of the four important people. At lunch time, she leaves me, with the promise to help me if I need anything. I thank her and walk to the store of Mr. Gold. "Is anybody home?" I'm met by a grumpy looking Rumple. "What do you want?" "I need your help." I start to explain. "I don't give help, deary. I sell things. That's why this is called a shop." I roll my eyes. The lack of sleep last night has made me easily annoyed, so I get to the point straight away. "I'm not your deary, Belle is. The help I need might be a thing here in the shop, but I need your advise on it. It might involve some of your specialty, Dark One." I seem to have hit a nerve by mentioning Belle, who is now Lacey and doesn't know him. "Well, deary. I might help you. But all magic" "comes with a price. I know." I finish the sentence for him. He motions for me to come closer and examines my face. "Have we met before?" "Yes, I was there when Belle became Lacey. Nice scarf you had." My unfriendly attitude might make him angry. But that might work out better for me. He's already mad because of Lacey, so I decide to push him down that path further. Solving that riddle might be a dark and though thing to do, so I will need the Dark One. "What do you want?" I smile slightly, pleased with myself that he seems interested. "I need something. But I'm not sure what exactly." "Then I can't help you, deary." I ignore his deary and continue my explanation. "I have a riddle though, that should tell me what I need. 'True love shines like a star through the darkest of nights' it says. Does that make you think of anything?" He laughs at me. To my satisfaction, it sounds like his maniac laugh from before he met Belle. "I thought it might have something to do with the potion you made from Snow White and Charming's love. You know, from the hair on his cape?" He falls silent in shock. "How do you know?" "Are you willing to help me?" I ignore his question now that I'm almost there. He looks at me thoughtfully for a while. "What are you willing to pay? It's not just something small and unimportant you're asking for." I inwardly cheer. The time of making deals has come. I wish I had Raven with me now. She always makes great deals with people, about anything. It always ends up in her favor. But she's safely at home, while I'm in a dark shop with an even darker person. So I take a deep breath and hold out my hands. "I know every magic comes with a price. So name your, Rumplestiltskin." /span/p 


	9. Chapter 9

p class="MsoNormal"I stand before the big mansion of Regina Mills. Its hugeness and style matches her function as mayor. My heart races in my chest while I prepare myself for meeting the Evil Queen herself. I know she has a kind side, I've seen it in season three. However, she doesn't know yet herself. So my muscles tense in anxiety as I walk towards her front door through the nicely kept garden. I knock and wait nervously for the door to get opened. It does and before me stands a women in expensive clothing with perfect hair. She's the perfect image of a mighty women. "Good afternoon, mayor Mills." I great her politely. My attitude from with Belle and Rumple in totally suppressed by my fear. Belle, or Lacey, was just a badass women, like Raven. Rumple was dangerous but in a manipulative way. This women, this great queen of the Enchanted Forest, she can burn your head off just because she doesn't like you. She does nothing like that though. She just looks me in the eyes with an expression that shows that she's in charge here. "Yes, how can I help you?" Like I expected, Henry appears at the door too. I knew he would be curious, since they don't get many visitors. "Henry invited me, ma'am." Regina turns around to look at her son. From behind her back, I motion the boy to play along. Of course he does, since he wants to know why I'm here. I'm pretty sure he doesn't invite a lot of people to his home. "Yes, mom. She is going to help me with my math homework." One corner of my mouth turns up in half a smile, amazed by how easily he lies. I'm sure he has had some practice when he thought his mom was evil and he wanted to be with Emma. Regina looks skeptically at him. "You never had trouble with math before." He moves past her to grab my wrist. "Yes, but then the teacher started to throw in the alphabet." He pulls me along through the shiny clean hallway. I get a few seconds to take off my shoes, while he is bouncing up and down in impatience. "I didn't get your name though." Regina says, as she closes the door. She still eyes me suspiciously. "Eleanor, ma'am. I was Pocahontas at home. It is nice to finally meet the mayor of this lovely town." I shake her hand politely, showing my best behavior. That's when Henry gets enough of it and drags me along to his room. At the last moment, he grabs his school bag with books too, keeping our cover intact. As soon as he closed the door of his room, he turns to me and folds his arms over his chest. "Who are you? Why do you want to speak to me? Are you really Pocahontas? I didn't know you lived in the Forest too. The book didn't say anything about you. Where did you live?" He starts babbling and I let him for a while. Then I start answering all of his questions. "I'm Eleanor, like I said. I didn't live in the Forest, but I was on a sort of vacation there when the Queen send us here." "Okay, and why do you want to speak to me?" I shrug. "I saw you working on a list of the people in town. I thought you might want some help. A lot of people in Storybrook aren't mentioned in your book." I had thought about this when I walked over to the mansion. My lack of appearance in the book had to be explained, just like my visit did. "Nice, I could use some help. I don't know everyone here. How did you know that I'd let you in." "I thought you could use some company." I wink, but he sighs. With the surprising honesty of a kid, he tells me he doesn't have a lot of friends at school. "The boys who like me, are afraid of my mom. So only Mary Margareth was really nice to me. Hansel was kind too, he sat next to me in class. Until he found out my mom was the evil queen." I realize he doesn't have anyone close to his age to talk with about this. Emma is his mother and has quite a temper. Mary Margareth is his teacher, who he sees as a real grown up who can't be bothered that much. So is David. My heart forgets his fear of the women downstairs. Instead it overflows with feelings of pity for this boy. His great imagination must have gotten him in a lot of trouble. Having Regina as a mother even more. Now that Emma is back, he has even more trouble, since his moms are fighting. I know he has experienced a lot of good things too. But that doesn't make up for the bad. Just as the bad things don't spoil the good. "It's okay kid, you have my company now." I change the conversation to the list he is making. We work on it for the next hour. I use my knowledge from the show to help him out and give some details by the character he knows, like Snow White. The Evil Queen is involved many times, by multiple people. I see why he thinks of his mom as evil. After working on the list, we decide to do some actual math. Otherwise Regina might get on to us. I wouldn't want to see her get mad at me. So Henry does his homework like the nice, obeying boy he is while I start doing nothing. I hum a bit to myself, until he asks what I'm humming. My singing voice isn't bad, so I sing it for him. I was singing a song from Frozen. He doesn't recognize it, so I guess he hasn't seen any new movies since he is in Storybrook. Halfway through Let It Go, I realize this might influence the happenings in season four. But I decide I don't care and keep singing Disney songs to him for the rest of his working. Luckily for me, Hayley and I had a Disney marathon not long ago. Just as I'm ending Two Worlds from Tarzan, Regina opens the door and announces that dinner is ready. I shut my mouth immediately, embarrassed by the fact that she heard me sing. "Henry, go clean up your books. We eat in five minutes." She motions me to follow her, which I do without showing hesitation. She might be in charge of the situation, but she isn't in charge of me. She leads me downstairs and to the hallways before she starts talking again. "I hope the lesson has helped him?" "Yes, ma'am. I'm sure it has. Henry is a smart boy, he just needed a little guidance." "How much do I have to pay you?" She takes out her wallet from one of the fashionable coats hanging next to the shoes. "Nothing, ma'am. See it as a way of thanking you for sending us here." She frowns at this and her lips press together in a disapproving way. "What do you mean? You see me as the Evil Queen who cursed everyone too?" Her tone is almost hostile. "No, ma'am," I explain quickly but calmly. "I went away from home to seek an adventure. To be honest, this is more than could have ever dreamed of." I wave my hand at our surroundings, dedicating Storybrook itself. "You don't think of this as a curse?" "I think a curse is always just a matter of point of view. It might be a curse for some people, but for others it was a salvation. To fully understand it, we need to take a look trough the other's eyes." She raises an eyebrow, but her face lightens up. I see a smile forming on it and the tension falls from her shoulders. "Mom, I'm ready already." Henry enters the hallway. He looks surprised to see me still standing there. He eyes his mother carefully. "What is going on?" "Nothing, I'll be there soon honey. Go inside and find yourself some desert for later. I'll make something special tonight." He narrows his eyes at his mother. Clearly he doesn't trust her kindness. That makes me sad in a way. He can never fully trust his mother, even though his heart wants to believe in her. "Mom?" She lays a hand on my shoulder and softly and kindly pushes me back inside the house, giving me enough time to step back from her closeness. "Tonight, we have a guest." Exited but nervous, I follow her to the table. She fetches another set of plates. We talk about her job as a mayor, Henry's school and my made up cabin in the woods, while having a dinner of soup and lasagna. She isn't a very good cook, but I don't mention it. In the end, I help her clean even though she tells me it's okay. She sends Henry up to his room after he has chosen apple pie as desert. "Do you want to spend some time with him, while I make the pie?" She offers. By the look on her face, I can see she expects me to either follow Henry or run outside to get out of her place and into safety. I do neither. Instead I help her cut the apples. "Why do you treat me so kindly?" She asks me, almost shyly. The struggle which she doesn't show until season three is already visible here, in the kitchen with just the two of us. Thanks to Jannet, I've thought about Regina and her struggle with her evil side a lot. Jannet's obsession with Once Upon A Time has been really useful this day. "Because I understand you. No-one is born evil. It is a product of bad things happening to a person. That doesn't mean I approve the killing and hurting that you've caused. I do see why you did it though. I won't judge you for it." It is silent for a long time and we pass on to the dough. "My mother, Cora, murdered my love." She finally says, not looking at me. I don't know how to reply, especially since I know Robin Hood is her true love. A soft voice in my mind cheers, because the mighty Evil Queen has opened up to me after just a day. Rumple would be proud of my manipulation. However, I all mean it which makes it even worse. I didn't have to play any games to make her trust me. She just needed someone who listens to her side of the story. "I wish I could have helped you earlier." That seems to be the wrong thing to say, since she straightens up. "I don't need help. I'm the queen, this whole town is under my control." "Excuse me, ma'am. I didn't mean to make you sound weak. I just mean that the thing you have gone trough are more than an average person has." She realizes my honest support of her and relaxes again. Her fists unclench and I hope she wasn't planning on sending a fire ball at me. "I got through it all. See, I've got this whole town now." She puts our pie in the oven and cleans her hands. "Or at least, until Swan decides to interfere. She started all the trouble we have now. And yet, they call her the hero and me the villain." She hands me some soda to drink and leads me to the couch. As we sit down, we look like old friend coming together. It feels a bit like that too. Although I'm still careful about what I can and can't say. I'm still in the beginning of my bond with Regina. Saying anything wrong now could mean her anger and therefore the destruction of my mission. No-one does anything without Regina's permission. Except Emma of course. "Regina, it's not that black and white. Them, us. Look at them. They are us, what differences do you see?" Her grip on the glass gets a little tighter, but I can see she's up for a peaceful discussion. "Let it go Regina. It is time to put the past behind us." "I will never let it go." I drop the subject, knowing I planted the seed of doubt. In the following months, she will develop a conscious and start trying to be good. She would already do that in the original story, but maybe now she'll find it easier. At least I hope so. We chatter a bit and the tension leaves her again. For a women who has everything she wants at the moment, she is way to tense and stressed. Emma must be nagging her badly. After an hour, Henry comes back downstairs. I stay with the two of them until almost midnight. Regina offers to drive me home, but I refuse since I don't want to blow my story. Instead, I walk in the cold night back to the edge of Storybrook and lay down in the grass. Shivering over my whole body, I make a mental note to dress up warmer next time or try to bring a blanket. /p 


	10. Chapter 10

I open my eyes and try to sit up. "I haven't gotten used to that yet." I look up to see Hayley sitting in a chair at the table in the kitchen. She is reading a book from her study, a pencil behind her ear keeps her hair from falling to her face. "You suddenly disappear and reappear like it's no big deal." "I've been doing this for quite some years now. How long was I gone?" She looks at the silver watch on her wrist. "Four hours. How long have you been there?" "A full day." She lets out an impressed whistle. "Do you want to eat something?" I shake my head and tell her I need rest. "You are planning on telling me what happened, right? I'm not helping you just by making you food and cleaning your apartment." I look around to see that she had indeed cleaned it. My laundry is gone from the floor, the dishes are cleaned up and put away and the coffee stain has vanished. I'm impressed she has done all of that in just four hours. I pick up the book from the couch and throw it to her. "Read and you'll know." She rolls her eyes. "No seriously, I have never had the change to read which influence I have. Please do that for me?" I give her my best puppy eyes. With a sigh, she puts down the book she was reading and opens Once Upon A Time at the page I read a few hours ago. I watch her for a moment, ignoring my tiredness. I think of Regina and how we talked like equals. Of course I always spoke to her respectfully, but her attitude towards me changed during the evening. I smile at the thought that we might have become sort of friends. Hayley looks up after a few pages. "You, sleep." She point to the door of my bedroom with her thumb. I obey grateful and take a quick shower before I fall asleep.

What feels like minutes later, Hayley wakes me up again. A glance at the clock tells me it's eight in the evening, which means I've slept for quite some hours. I get dressed in some comfortable clothing and follow Hayley to the kitchen. "I've made some soup. Which was the only thing I could make, since you suck at groceries." I laugh but thank her for her care. During our meal, I tell her about my day. She compares it to what she has read and concludes that a lot is left out. That's understandable though, since Emma is the main character. Regina getting a visit from a random person isn't that interesting. "You should've chosen a better cover." Hayley reprimands at the end of my story, while I take the dishes to the sink. "Pocahontas is nice, but you don't act like her." I run my hand trough my hair irritated. "What do you want me to do, take an animal with me everywhere I go and walk around babbling about the wild life?" She just rolls her eyes and motions for me to sit down again. "Maybe you should act a little bit more like her. Not to the extremes, but subtle like Belle's kindness. For example, you could wear something brown and red and braid your hair. You don't only have to fool the people in Storybrook, remember? People are reading this. You're advise is good, very nature like. However that's because you're like that yourself. Now you have to be a little bit more like her in your behavior." I nod and feel ashamed for not having done that immediately since I'm so experienced. I was too focused on the mission, I forgot the other important parts. It's silent for a while, in which I do the dishes and she pets Sergio. I think about her advise and ask for more, especially about how to handle Rumple and Regina. She assures me I'm doing great. Since she's not that into politics and backstabbing, I don't expect much help from her. "Maybe we should ask Jannett?" I suggest, although I don't really want to. She knows a lot about the show, but I don't want to share my secret with anyone other than Hayley. To my relieve, she shakes her head. "You're doing fine. I mean, you're still alive and unhurt. That's more than most people in Storybrook after they've met Regina." I laugh and start making some coffee for us. "I've done some thinking, when you were gone." That doesn't surprise me. Hayley thinks a lot before she acts, especially with important decisions. However, this time she thought of merely practical problems. "You need a bag, for when you get the love-in-a-bottle from Rumple. Besides that, you need to be able to protect yourself. I've seen the books in your TARDIS. They're all sweet and peaceful. Storybrook is more dangerous. Owen is there, so besides Rumple and Regina you have a more regular danger to worry about. Therefore, I've got an early birthday present." My birthday isn't until next month, but from behind the couch she takes a large present. It is packed in Marvel wrapping paper, but I know this has nothing to do with super heroes. It's something practical for solving the mystery of the disappearing stories. I unwrap the package carefully, revealing a beautiful yet practical backpack. It's made of brown leather and has a size fit for regular use and for traveling light. "Thank you, Hay. It's great!" She smiles kindly and moves forward. I hug her, smelling her nice perfume. "Open it," She says, wrapping her arm around my waist. "You didn't think I would celebrate your twentieth birthday with just a bag right?" I do as she says, leaning into her comforting body as I do so. The bag contains multiple smaller presents. I take them all out and lay them next to me before unwrapping them one by one. The first present is a small multifunctional pocket knife. The second is a small fancy looking notebook. "I thought you might want to make notes on your journey to make sure you don't forget important things." She explains shyly. After that, I open a present containing pills against sleep. I'm sure they will be very useful now that I have to spend so much time in the stories. The fourth package is a box. Inside it is a pair of brown leather boots which match the bag. They must've been expensive so I hug her again. "I will take them with me next time I go." I assure her. Sergio shows his agreement to sniff the bag cautiously and then cuddling up next to it. Hayley and I chatter a bit until it's midnight and we both get tired. For the first time in two days, she decides to go home again. We agree to meet tomorrow evening. I don't want to take up too much of her time, since she has her own life too. Besides, she still has to cope with everything I've told her and the adventure she's now becoming a part of. I clean up after she leaves and put all my presents back in the bag. Before I go to sleep again, I decide to pack the bag for my trip to Storybrook tomorrow morning. I collect a bit of food, some bottles of water and my most basic drawing equipment and put it in the bag. On top of that, I put my presents except the boots. Hayley's warning made me uncomfortable, like I might come in danger the next time. Therefore, I take a small, thin but razor sharp knife Raven gave me a year ago. It's perfectly balanced and made to throw, which the two of us have practiced in the park. My throwing skills aren't perfect, but I can hit a target. I search the cupboards for my sewing kit. When I finally find it, I sew the knife in my left boot in a way that the blade is easy to take out. This give me a safer and badass feeling. I decide I've done enough and go to sleep with calmed nerves. If my mission to save fiction gets dangerous, I won't be unprotected. The thought of getting myself into trouble frightens me, but I now know I can protect myself. Furthermore, I've got Regina by my side, or at least I hope.


	11. Chapter 11

After having my usual cup of coffee and some bread, I take a shower and get dressed. It's still early in the morning and the streets are quiet. I decide to wear simple bleached jeans, a black shirt and a brown leather jacket than matches with my backpack and boots. I let my hair dry naturally while checking the contents of my bag for the final time. I've put an old painting in red, brown and black of Regina in it too, following Hayley's advise of being more like Pocahontas. I remember wanting a blanket last time, therefore I put a thin but warm blanket in the bottom of the back. Now I'm satisfied with the contents and close the backpack. I pick up the book and start reading Once Upon A Time, starting on the page describing the morning after my dinner with Regina. I soon feel myself fading away and the next moment I'm back in the forest. Luckily it hasn't rained during the night, so I don't get mud on my shoes. That would make people suspicious and piss Hayley off. I start the half an hour walk which will take me to the center of the town.

The restaurant has already opened when I arrive, so I enter for some tea to warm up from the chilly morning air. As I open it, someone from the other side of the door bumps into me. I shriek as hot coffee spills all over me and burns my skin. "He missy, watch out!" A grumpy voice calls out, but I'm too busy trying to prevent the hot clothing from sticking to my skin. "Hello, I'm talking to you! You spilled my coffee." The man yells at me. I look up from my shirt to see Grumpy standing in front of me with an six empty cups. He looks at me with an amount of anger that makes me want to crawl into a corner to be safe. However I can't. He is looking at me as if he expects an explanation. "Can't you look out where you're going?" He continues shouting grumpily at me. Bystanders look up at the scene he's making. It would've made me blush if it wasn't for the fear of the man in front of me. Suddenly, he stops shouting. From the corner of my eyes I see all the other people quickly turn their hands and continue walking. Soft, cool hands land on my shoulders and hold me steady in a protective way. I don't dare to look away from the man in front of me, but I can make out the slender fingers on having a firm grip on my shoulders. I can smell her perfume in the morning air. "Is there a problem, Leroy?" She says calmly, knowing she's the one in charge here. Grumpy seems to be out of words for a second, before he angrily starts explaining how I threw his coffee on the ground. After just a few sentences, he gets interrupted. "I don't see any coffee on the ground. Are you sure you're making sense?" Grumpy starts laughing in an unfriendly way and talks back to her. I'm afraid they will start a real fight, which won't be good for any of us. Besides, I'm still getting burned. Therefore, I cough softly to get their attention. Grumpy ignores me and finishes his talk, but the women behind me lets one of my shoulders go so that I can turn around to face her. From inside the restaurant, I can see people looking at us curiously yet afraid. I'm pretty sure Ruby has already send someone to get Emma. I want both of them calmed down before sheriff Swann arrives. "I did run into him, but it was an accident. I wouldn't have thrown coffee all over myself on purpose." I vaguely wave at my shirt and the coffee stains on it. Regina wiggles with her fingers, like she's going to cast a spell to hurt Grumpy. I grab her hands to stop her from doing any harm. "Could we just go inside please? I'm freezing and burning." Just now, she notices the heat coming from my shirt. She immediately leads me into the restaurant. "You'd better be here when I'm finished with her, because I swear I will come after you!" She snaps angrily at Grumpy. I ignore all the stares as I run to the bathroom. As soon as I'm in, I pull off my shirt, not minding the other women in it. Somewhere in my mind, I recognize the ex-wife of Charming, but the burning on my skin is more important than the pretty blonde women. I throw my shirt on the ground, next to her feet. Ruby and Regina come walking in, carrying soaking wet towels. Ruby pushes them to my skin in an attempt to cool it down, while Regina sends the other women away, leaving the three of us in there. I sigh from relieve as the cold water cools my burns. "Are you okay?" Ruby asks me, looking in my eyes to make sure I can focus. I nod and tell her she'd better go back to the restaurant. The people will become restless. Some will go away, but others will want to see another fight between Emma and Regina. Ruby can't send them away, but she can keep them quiet. She agrees and heads back to wait for Emma. I sit on the floor. The cool stones are comforting now. Regina kneels down next to me and changes the towels. "You should've said you were hurt immediately." "You didn't gave me the chance," This seems to upset her, but I don't care. The burns are minor, but they still hurt. "Your first reaction was anger and hate towards Leroy. That's your problem. Hate is your first reaction to everything," She steps back and turns away from me. I feel sorry, but continue anyways. "Even when I told you, you first had to point out to Leroy that you were going to take your revenge." Her shoulders hang down and she crosses her arms across her chest in a protective way. "He hurt you." That seems to be the only explanation she can think of now. Eventually, I don't feel the burns as much. It feels like hours of silence have passed, but I know it can't be more than a few minutes. I throw away the towel, stand up and walk over to her. "Regina, it's not your fault. Eventually, you helped. That's what is most important, right? In the end, you know the right thing to do. Which is to help, not to hate." She looks up at me and smiles half a smile. "Normally, I wouldn't let people talk to me like that. However, something about you makes me think you're not a regular teenager. You seems to understand a lot more than people twice your age." I shrug. "Let's just say wisdom comes with experience."

Someone knocks on the door. "Regina, miss Eleanor, are you in here?" A man's voice is audible from the other side of the door. "Yes, David. Just a second." Regina says in her most emotionless, cold voice. She really, deeply hates the Charmings. I turn to the sink to put on my dirty, wet shirt, since it's the only one I've got with me. I make a mental note to myself to put some extra clothing in my backpack the next time. "No, here take this." A jacket is put around my shoulders. I put it on and look down to see it's Regina's favorite white jacket, which she was wearing. Underneath it, she was wearing a fancy blouse, so she still looks good. I thank her and open the door to see David and Mary Margareth standing in an otherwise empty restaurant. I guess Ruby is sending everyone home after all. David has the sheriffs badge with him, indicating he is Emma's replacement while she in New York. "Are you okay?" The women takes my hand and pulls me away from Regina. At the same time, David takes a step forward and places himself protectively between us and her. "What did you do to her?" He narrows his eyes. "Granny came to the station, yelling something about a women being burned and of course, your involvement." Snow tries to get my attention by cupping my face with her hands. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" I nod and turn back to David, wanting to explain it all. "What did you do to her?" He yells at Regina. "I didn't hurt her, stupid. It was Leroy, I only helped her." David snorts like it's the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard. Maybe for them, Regina helping someone is a ridiculous thought. "What did she do to you? Did she hurt you?" The sheriff turns his attention towards me now, but he keeps a cautious eye on Regina. "I'm not hurt, really. Leroy spilled coffee over me, which burned me a bit," I wave vaguely to my chest ."Regina actually helped me. Look, I'm even wearing her jacket." David's only response is another foul look at Regina. Mary Margareth joins him and starts telling me there is no way Regina would help someone. I ignore her and try to make eye contact with Regina, to tell her I don't believe what they're saying. However, my helper has had enough of the false accusations. She starts bitching again. Soon, the three of them are in a mean discussion and have totally forgotten about me. "Er, excuse me," I say, faking politeness. "Isn't there some unwritten rule about being polite to older people?" They all stare at me blankly. For now, the stop of the discussion is good enough for me. Unfortunately, now they expect me to be talking. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but my mom always taught me not to be rude to my parents. For all I know, Regina is technically your stepmother. Doesn't that mean that you have to at least show her a bit of respect, even though you don't agree with her?" Snow opens her mouth, closes it again and seems to think of something to say. A small, arrogant chuckle escapes from Regina. I didn't mean to choose side, I just wanted them to stop bickering. Therefore, although I know I might regret it later on, I sort of apologize. "I don't mean to be rude towards you, Mary Margareth. I mean, you're our princess. I wouldn't dare to stand up towards someone so kind and brave as you." I bow my head slightly. Regina seems really pissed off by this, but I prevent her from speaking up by taking the conversation to a whole other subject. The Charmings might be the good ones in the show, I really disagree with how they show off like they rule the place, which they certainly don't. Besides, they act like they're perfect. Raven has shown me a long time ago that no-one, how great they might be, is perfect.

Snow smiles kindly at me and I can see the appreciation in David's eyes. I snicker inwardly as I think of what a nice moment to ruin that. "Besides, you have my deepest respect. You are the only women in four generations of royalty that didn't have some secret humpty dumpty going on with a mister Gold." I know this isn't a good way to name it, but I don't know Rumple's last name. Snow's eyes almost pop out of her head and Regina's mouth falls open. For now, David still manages to hold up his poker face. "What do you mean?" He asks, narrowing his eyes a bit. "I mean it like I said it. There has been some secret stuff going on between Cora and Rumple. The same with Cora's daughter." Regina seems offended by this, since there wasn't anything actually happening between her and Rumple. Of course, she doesn't know about her sister yet. That women really did have some special interest in Rumple and his lips. "Who is the fourth generation you're talking about?" David asks, crossing his arms and clenching his fists. "Emma," I raise an eyebrow mockingly. "Who else?" That rhetorical question doesn't get answered. Instead they all let out various sounds of shock. What they don't know, is that I'm indicating mister Gold's son. Who is technically a Cassidy but that was only his cover. His actual name should be Gold. "Emma," David finally finds his voice again. "What do you mean with Emma and Gold?" I shrug, acting arrogantly and cold. "In case you didn't notice, you're little daughter isn't a virgin anymore." That much was clear to everybody, since she has Henry."It has been twenty-eight years. Don't you think she did some.. stuff.. with people? One of which she is now in New York with."None of that was a lie, she did have sex with Neal, who is a Gold since he's Rumple's son. Plus, Neal is in New York. However, the others don't know that. Which means I'm in trouble. Big trouble according to the looks on their faces.

David closes the space between us with one big step and grabs my shoulders. "What do you mean my daughter had sex with Rumplestilskin?" He shouts at me. Regina wants to help me but an angry Snow holds her back. I hold up my hands in fake innocence. "That's all I know." Telling them about her also having sex with a flying monkey and loving her stepfather-in-law doesn't seem like a good idea at the moment. Especially since that same monkey works for her step great aunt. "You guys should celebrate Thanksgiving, ever thought of the amount of people you'd have to invite?" I wonder, pretending I'm not impressed by David towering over me. I know this is making Regina happy, which I need to make Gold happy. Besides, a sadistic part of me is really interested in how this will all work out. The show has just taken a Raven-like turn..

David looks like he's about to hit me, but at that moment Regina manages to get past Snow, throwing her on the ground. She pushes David away from me and grabs my elbow. "We're leaving," She pulls me towards the exit. "Remember everything was going fine until you decided to join in, sheriff." She snaps at him, saying the last word with a mocking respect. David seems to be having an inner struggle but decides to help Snow get up instead of running after us. Or worse. I grab my bag from the table closest to the door, where Ruby must've left it for me. Regina pulls me along towards her house, walking fast but still managing to look in control. HeH


End file.
